Apple iOS upgrade wiped everything

Forums › Apple iOS and devices › Apple iOS upgrade wiped everything - how to get back?

Ropenuts

133 posts

Master Geek

#74091 26-Dec-2010 20:35

Hey i just upgraded my iphone 3g to 4.2.1 to put some music on and it fully wiped everything. Before the upgrade though it did a full backup, but that backup doesn't seem to apply itself to the phone now... i can find where the back up went to in my C: drive, i was just wondering is there a way to get all of the info back to the phone somehow? Any help would be awesome!

dontpanic42

1574 posts

Uber Geek

#421680 26-Dec-2010 20:46

You may have already tried this, but have you tried turning your iPhone off completely, turning it on again and then re-connecting it to your freshly restarted computer?

Try doing that and then restoring it from iTunes.

By the way, do you have a MAC or a PC?

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Ropenuts

133 posts

Master Geek

#421685 26-Dec-2010 21:22

dontpanic42: You may have already tried this, but have you tried turning your iPhone off completely, turning it on again and then re-connecting it to your freshly restarted computer?

Try doing that and then restoring it from iTunes.

By the way, do you have a MAC or a PC?

Yeah i just tried this. Still the same result. I have a PC with windows 7 on it????

LennonNZ

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#421686 26-Dec-2010 21:29

If you reset the iPhone back to Factory Defaults.. when you plug it into itunes it should ask you to set up as a new iPhone or restore from a backup.

dontpanic42

1574 posts

Uber Geek

#421687 26-Dec-2010 21:34

You should be able to find the backup file in the following location:

<Drive>:\Users\<UserName>\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup

Apparently many iPhone users have had success by going into the iPhone hard drive and deleting the 'iTunes_Control' folder from the following directory - /var/root/Media/

I don't have an iPhone, so I can't really confirm that, but it might be worth a shot.

Source: http://modmyi.com/forums/general-iphone-chat/11411-how-force-itunes-restore-specific-backup.html

BTW, Google is always your friend.

But the geekzone community is always happy to help out too.

Hope that helps.

Ropenuts

133 posts

Master Geek

#421688 26-Dec-2010 21:34

LennonNZ: If you reset the iPhone back to Factory Defaults.. when you plug it into itunes it should ask you to set up as a new iPhone or restore from a backup.

I tried this. For some reason it isn't coming up with the backup in itunes. Yet i can find the backup in my C: drive. I think ive done something really wrong haha

scottjpalmer

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#421729 26-Dec-2010 23:31

There was a glitch with upgrading a while back. From memory, play a song in iTunes then re-sync. All comes back.

Ropenuts

133 posts

Master Geek

#421816 27-Dec-2010 10:36

Damn ive been trying. I can't find that /var/media file thing. Is that for mac? I think i'll give up. I hate itunes. Cheers guys

dontpanic42

1574 posts

Uber Geek

#421819 27-Dec-2010 10:48

Ropenuts: Damn ive been trying. I can't find that /var/media file thing. Is that for mac? I think i'll give up. I hate itunes. Cheers guys

The directory I was referring to is on your iPhone's hard drive.
After a bit of reading and googleling (it's your friend remember ;) ) it seems the iPhone hard drive is a bit more locked down than other iOS devices.

Give this application a go:
http://code.google.com/p/iphonebrowser/downloads/detail?name=SetupiPhoneBrowser.1.93.exe

Apparently it should allow access to your iPhone's hard drive, which should then allow you to delete the 'iTunes_Control' folder from the following directory - /var/root/Media/

I'm not a big fan of iTunes either, although it does have it's good points sometimes.
A good point is certainly not the dog-like speed in the windows version though.

Hope this helps.

Batman

Mad Scientist
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#423480 2-Jan-2011 19:25

this problem is all over the internet! it appears that (like all companies) once a newer model is out the support for older ones dwindle ... in this case turns out to be a disaster! would it be fair to say when ip5 comes out i should stop updating the ip4?

gehenna

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#423527 2-Jan-2011 21:23

All you have to do is plug the iPhone in, click on the Music button underneath your iPhone name in iTunes. Play a song from the list that comes up on the right. Re-sync and all the music will reappear in the iPhone itself.